Updated on 21 Feb 26 by
Barry carter
Poker Expert

How to play a micro stack in MTTs

Getting super short in tournaments does not mean we have to gamble to get level again, there is a GTO strategy for micro stack poker.





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We are back with another offering from the folks at the leading GTO trainer tool GTO Wizard

Nobody likes getting short in MTTs but we cannot avoid it. In this video, Matt Hunt shows us how to navigate a micro stack in tournaments. 

This video includes:

  • First in spots
  • Facing an open in and outside the blinds
  • Post flop strategy with a micro stack
  • When do we lose fold equity altogether?

Getting super short is inevitable in tournaments, but it is not a death sentence if you take the strategy seriously. 

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What is GTOWizard?

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GTO Wizard is an advanced GTO trainer that shows you how to play against a perfect opponent. 

You can play full hands from preflop to river to learn anything and everything you need to know to make your game harder to exploit. 

The interface is designed with learning in mind, with custom filters to drill down on important information, dynamic training modes to fine-tune spots, and advanced AI to do your own solves. 

You can also upload your hand histories to get your own GTO score and discover where you need to improve. GTO Wizard also has some of the best free strategy content available anywhere in poker. 

10% discount on GTOWizard

Using the bonus code PokerStrategy you can get a 10% discount on your first subscription.

There are custom plans for Cash Games, Cash Games with Straddles/Antes, MTTs, Spin & Go and HUSNGs. Each plan has unique features for the game type (for example ICM and PKO solutions for MTTs) but all of them have the following features: 

GTO Wizard Subscription Plans
Starter (from $39/month) Premium (from $69/month) Elite (from $109/month)
Postflop solutions (Most stack depths) Everything from Starter Everything in Premium
Unlimited practice spots Postflop solutions (All stack depths) AI custom solving
50 spots a month to analyse Blockers score Dynamic bet sizing
Basic aggregated reports 100,000 spots a month to analyse 150,000 spots a month to analyse
Turn aggregated reports New features coming soon
Weekly coachings

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Poker Expert

Barry Carter is the editor of PokerStrategy.com and the co-author of The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2, Poker Satellite Strategy, PKO Poker Strategy, Endgame Poker Strategy, GTO Poker Simplified, Mystery Bounty Poker Strategy and Beyond GTO. In 2025, he won the Global Poker Awards for Best Book and Twitter Personality of the Year.